U.S. patent application number 13/257630 was filed with the patent office on 2012-01-12 for mobile phone based mobile customer relationship loyalty methodology and servicing system with instant analytics features thereof.
This patent application is currently assigned to Krishna Kumar MEHRA. Invention is credited to Aneesh Reddy Boddu, Krishna Kumar Mehra, Ajay Modani.
Application Number | 20120010931 13/257630 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42740076 |
Filed Date | 2012-01-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120010931 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mehra; Krishna Kumar ; et
al. |
January 12, 2012 |
MOBILE PHONE BASED MOBILE CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP LOYALTY METHODOLOGY
AND SERVICING SYSTEM WITH INSTANT ANALYTICS FEATURES THEREOF
Abstract
A mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system and method thereof which involves media such as
SMS, e-mail, instant messenger or a notification to a mobile
application or website as well to identify and communicate with the
customer in a customer friendly manner. It includes a unique code
based operation and special feature of instant analytics for the
customer, points/voucher validation and redemption, incentivized
referral program, integrated campaigns and the like right at the
POS terminal at client outlet enabling real time integration,
analytics and communication. The system involving Mobile
phones/like mobile operative devices of the end users/customers, at
least one client component at the retail/sales outlets and a server
component comprising an MCRLP main server system for operative
connection to said one client component for customer relationship
and loyalty servicing. The Customer interacts with the system and
his behavior is modeled.
Inventors: |
Mehra; Krishna Kumar;
(Kolkata, IN) ; Boddu; Aneesh Reddy; (Hyderabad,
IN) ; Modani; Ajay; (Jhalawar, IN) |
Assignee: |
MEHRA; Krishna Kumar
Kolkata
IN
|
Family ID: |
42740076 |
Appl. No.: |
13/257630 |
Filed: |
March 17, 2010 |
PCT Filed: |
March 17, 2010 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IN2010/000155 |
371 Date: |
September 20, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.16 ;
705/14.27 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20130101;
G06Q 30/0226 20130101; G06Q 10/107 20130101; G06Q 30/0214 20130101;
G06Q 20/322 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/14.16 ;
705/14.27 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/00 20060101
G06Q030/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 20, 2009 |
IN |
500/KOL/2009 |
Claims
1. A mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system comprising: (i) Mobile phones/like mobile
operative devices of the end users/customers (ii) At least one
client component at the retail/sales outlets including computer
means adapted for point of sale system and MCRLP client
applications involving activations from said mobile phone/mobile
operative devices of the end users (iii) A server component
comprising an MCRLP main server system adapted for operative
connection to said one client component means at the retail/sales
outlet for synchronization comprising: (a) Central Bookkeeping
server containing the application logic (b) Communication Engines
(for SMS/Email/Instant Messenger etc.) (c) Security and Validation
code generation routines, to thereby provide for customer friendly
customer relationship and loyalty servicing. (d) Reporting Engine
adapted to make available the data being collected using MCRLP to
the management in a simplified structure preferably also including
a HyperCube functionality adapted to allow further drill up and
drill down of data in a dynamic setting.
2. A mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system according to claim 1 comprising: (i) Mobile
phones/like mobile operative devices of the end users/customers
(ii) At least one client component at the retail/sales outlets
including computer means adapted for point of sale system and MCRLP
client applications involving activations from said mobile
phone/mobile operative devices of the end users (iii) A server
component comprising an MCRLP main server system adapted for
operative connection to said one client component means at the
retail/sales outlet for synchronization comprising: (a) Central
Bookkeeping server containing the application logic (b)
Communication Engines (for SMS/Email/Instant Messenger etc.) (c)
Security and Validation code generation routines, to thereby
provide for customer friendly customer relationship and loyalty
servicing. (d) Reporting Engine adapted to make available the data
being collected using MCRLP to the management in a simplified
structure preferably also including a HyperCube functionality
adapted to allow further drill up and drill down of data in a
dynamic setting, which is operatively connected to the main server
of the ERP/Accounting System containing the following: (a)
Inventory Masters, with Inventory categorization and coding (b)
Bill information said client component at the retail/sales outlet
and MCRLP main server being operatively connected through internet
continuously or selectively, said continuous connection favouring
continuous real time synchronization of the server system to the
client component at the retail/sales outlets for on line customer
relationship and loyalty servicing.
3. A mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the customer
identification comprises registering each customer and generating a
unique ID and mapping the customer phone number to this ID and
using the unique ID as an internal identifier and capturing profile
including but not limited to Name, Address, Date of Birth, Sex,
Birthday, Anniversary and other important days of the year which is
used to validate the user in case of mobile number change or
voucher redemption in certain cases with or without extra
validation involving a Government approved ID preferably selected
from Driving License, Passport, and also including the ability to
update the mobile numbers for the user as their numbers change.
4. A mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile number
of the customer comprises said unique identifier and the points are
recorded against the customer record along with past transaction
data, redemption details, vouchers issued or redeemed in the past
including instant vouchers and the like and the end user can be
searched up using either the mobile number, or name, email address
and the like.
5. A mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the data flows from
the POS system to the CRM system in a real time basis at the point
of sale; rather than in "batch" steps at regular intervals to
enable instant communication, analytics and redemption.
6. A mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mobile phone/GSM
Modem is connected to means adapted to receive SMS or other
requests including Web-interface/mobile applications/Email/Instant
Message and so on for the following: (a) Receive requests for
points querying (b) Receive requests of unique voucher issue the
interfaces allow various scenarios including (a) view past
transaction history, and check points and redemption options (b)
View a redemption catalog, and an online product catalog (c) Check
outstanding vouchers, and discount coupons and (d) Participate in
various campaigns that the organization may run from time to
time.
7. A mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said client
component comprises: a. Integration Layer adapted to customize and
integrate with the client using techniques such as API Integration
and screen scraping; b. Data Input UI adapted to enter data
regarding customer registrations, profile updates, billing
information, points redemption, voucher redemption and the like; c.
Voucher Validation for the clients to validate vouchers that have
been issued to the customer; d. Local Database and Cache adapted to
cache central data so that its accessible easily in the local
machine, and also stores all the transactions and registrations
locally until they have been synchronized successfully; e.
Synchronization Manager adapted to collect all the unsynchronized
data at the local machine and synchronizes it with the main server
online preferably involving an extensible Markup Language (XML)
based API; f. Instant Analytics Engine adapted for instant
analytics at the point of sale including a Rule Engine, and the
rules that the Marketing team sets for instant analytics and
executes them at the time of billing to achieve targeted offers in
an instant fashion.
8. A mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said server
component may comprise: i) Analytics Engine adapted to generate
insights based on trends of activities; ii) Campaigns Engine
adapted to assimilate various campaigns and integrated with the
rest of the MCRLP system or used separately; iii) Rule Authoring
Framework adapted for instant analytics to runs on the Client
requiring the rules to be written in a particular format.
9. A mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system as claimed in claim 1 adapted for (i) immediate
communication including enabling instant connect with the customer,
higher interactivity and impulse purchase behaviour and (ii)
instant analytics enabling real time capturing of data and its use
to run instant analytics at the point of sale itself based on
variables comprising of (a) Current Purchase, (b) Customer
Demographics and Scores, (c) Environment Information, and (d)
Inventory Information, said system said adapted to generate instant
outcomes consisting of Vouchers and other actions that are
communicated to the customer for instant redemption
10. A mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system as claimed in claim 1 comprising code based
validation of mobile numbers including voucher validation and
security mechanism preferably the voucher code is generated such
that the code can be validated even when the network is not
reachable/connected and thus enabling redemption of points and
vouchers in a secure fashion in both connected and disconnected
states.
11. A mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system as claimed in claim 1 comprising of the Client
component that integrates with the Point of Sale system at the
billing terminal using either software API based integration
requiring customizations of the Point of Sale software, or by
scraping the data from the screen without any modifications to the
Point of Sale system.
12. A mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system as claimed in claim 1 comprising means for
providing customer preferences for receiving communications,
provision of alternative forms of generosity, milestone based
programs, and instant analytics and vouchering.
13. A mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means at the
retail/sales outlets comprises selectively of additional hardware
as follows: a. Data Entry Machines at the retail/sales counter
including communication instruments to receive calls from the user
and identify them appropriately; b. Data Entry Machines may scan
the mobile directly through near-field communication technology
such as femtocells, or radio frequency tags that are pre-associated
with the mobile numbers at the time of customer registration. Any
device that can either identify the mobile (IMEI number, IMSI
number) or a pre-associated tag for the mobile may be used. c. Data
Entry Machines that contains means for generating and sending
unique bar codes through SMS, and subsequently scanning them for
entry into the system.
14. A method of mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and
loyalty servicing involving the system as claimed in claim 1
comprising: A) Activation at the client component involving the
following steps: i) The mobile number of the customer is entered by
the cashier either manually, or through other automated means such
as a PIN entering devices, an incoming phone which can identify the
caller or hardware appendages as may be used for data entry; ii)
carrying out data availability check; iii) capturing the data into
the MCRLP Client system through the integration means; iv) in the
instance the customer who is the target of the current process, is
marked "unsynchronized" in the local database, it means the said
customer doesn't have a globally unique ID in the system, which
then needs to be generated; v) carrying out data validation step
including voucher validation in case the process requires
validation; vi) in case the Client is in the disconnected state,
the changes are cached in the local database, and uploaded whenever
a sync is done (either on scheduled events, or manually); vii) at
this point any instant analytics can be run to generate dynamic
vouchers for the user. B) Activation at the Server component
involving the following steps: i) validating the data from the
MCRLP Client component, cleaning up, and then adding or updating in
the database as required; ii) Any configuration defined by the
client is respected, as the bills are stored for data-warehousing
purpose, and points calculation is done, the functionality of the
MCRLP Server is made very dynamic using the simple mechanisms
including "Listeners" and "Trackers". iii) Executing listeners with
the relevant supplied data on the occurrence of any Event including
Customer Registration, Billing, Voucher Issue, Voucher Redemptions,
Customer Referral and the like iv) tracking the actions of a
particular user and generate cumulative aggregates of various
quantities for particular periods of time with or without
integration with listeners including extraction of data required to
be to be tracked involving preferably templates for capturing this
data from the information supplied to listeners; storing the thus
extracted data in a separate structured location to facilitate
aggregating and calculating the same preferably defining threshold
values for cumulative aggregates, and subsequently performing
certain actions on the threshold values being exceeded and finally
enabling the same through "Listeners" defined above.
15. A method of mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and
loyalty servicing as claimed in claim 14 comprising carrying out
campaign functionalities and incentive referral programs in
relation to the above stated steps.
16. A mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system and a method of mobile phone based mobile customer
relationship and loyalty servicing involving said system as
substantially hereindescribed with reference to the accompanying
illustrative drawings.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a mobile customer
relationship, engagement and loyalty servicing and, in particular,
to a mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
methodology and servicing system thereof. Importantly, the
invention is directed to favour immediate communication with the
customer as soon as they shop using their mobile phones involving
media such as SMS, e-mail, instant messenger etc. and thereby
favour a more customer friendly customer relationship and loyalty
servicing. The system described herein also has the special feature
of being able to do instant analytics for the customer as soon as
they shop in the store. The Mobile Customer Relationship and
Loyalty Program solution described in this invention may
hereinafter be abbreviated to MCRLP for the sake of brevity.
[0002] According to the system of the invention the Retail Client
is the organization that owns the system and runs it in either in
their own premises, or as a hosted solution with a solution
provider (in different configurations). The Customer is the end
consumer that interacts with the system and whose behavior is being
modeled. In the exposition that follows, the means of communication
is mentioned as SMS (short message service) in most cases, but can
in general also be email, Instant Message, a notification to a
mobile application or website as well.
BACKGROUND ART
[0003] Loyalty Programs are in vogue In the industry because they
help retain customers and increase the share of the wallet by
giving the customers a reason to visit a store again and again.
This relationship building process of late has been automated by
using computers to enable communication and bookkeeping of points,
using software called Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
software. Most programs work by allocating "points" or virtual
currency to the customers whenever they make a purchase. These
points are arrived at in an algorithmic fashion from the bill data
(eg., bill amount, number of items bought) and the customer's
history (customer category or "slab" the customer is in). These
points can then be redeemed in future purchases. CRM software may
also contain modules to analyze customer data and run campaigns, or
these may be provided as separate systems that are loosely
integrated. This software traditionally uses a card to allot a
unique identification number to a customer that is used in the
bookkeeping process, and to identify the customer at the time of
redemptions.
[0004] Typical architecture of the billing or Point of Sale (POS)
systems at this point have a component installed at the billing
terminals which is called the POS component. All the data flows
back to the central server that hosts the back-end software for
managing data across all stores, typically called the Head Office
(HO) module. Traditionally, the way CRM programs operate is by
collating data about customer purchases at the end of the day from
the HO module in a "batch" process. The CRM program then collates
the points and enables the redemptions for future purchase. There
may be some other manifestations of this system where the data
flows from the POS module to the HO module and thereon to the CRM
system at regular intervals. However, the system never analyzes
data in an instant fashion. Besides, since the data is synchronized
in a "batch" process, mobile vouchers can't get invalidated, and
hence its difficult to run fraud-proof campaigns in most
scenarios.
[0005] There are also standard data analytics and reporting engines
that are readily available for generating insights from the data.
Simple reports can be generated using a spreadsheet program like
Microsoft Excel, or using a database engine. More detailed reports
with richer drill-up and drill-down features are available using
hypercubes and multi-dimensional databases. Also, there are
standard data mining tools that include clustering, classification
engines using different algorithms and predictive modeling that are
widely used to improve the data mining capability.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is thus the basic object of the present invention to
provide for a mobile customer relationship and loyalty servicing
and in particular to a mobile phone based mobile customer
relationship and, loyalty methodology and servicing system thereof
which would benefit a more customer friendly customer relationship
and loyalty servicing.
[0007] Another object of the present invention is directed to
provide for a mobile customer relationship and loyalty servicing
and in particular to a mobile phone based mobile customer
relationship and loyalty methodology and servicing system thereof
which would not require the need for any other unique
identification number such as those required in case of any card
based software access known in the art and favour simple
application of mobile phones of customers to maintain points and
also provide for methodology/system for validation protocols and
techniques. The same may also be supported in some configurations
with an alternate identification which is tagged to the mobile
phone number.
[0008] Another object of the present invention is directed to a
mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
methodology and servicing system thereof whereby It would be
possible for immediate communication with the customer as soon as
they shop involving readily available media such as SMS, e-mail,
instant messengers, mobile applications and the like.
[0009] Another object of the present invention is directed to a
customer relationship and loyalty methodology and servicing system
thereof whereby it would be possible to collect data from the Point
of Sale in real time basis, such that the customer data is
available in the MCRLP system as soon as the customer billing is
completed.
[0010] Another object of the present invention is directed to a
customer relationship and loyalty methodology and servicing system
thereof whereby it would be possible to perform instant analytics
at the billing terminal itself, thereby enabling customers to
receive information, offers, vouchers, promotions and so on while
they are still in the store. This also includes the systems,
mechanisms and protocols to enable such scenarios.
[0011] Yet another object of the present invention Is directed to a
mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
methodology and servicing system thereof which would be adapted
also to handle possible change of mobile numbers and/or for
occasions where the customer would not want to disclose his or her
mobile number.
[0012] A further object of the present invention is directed to a
mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
methodology and servicing system thereof which would be adapted to
authenticate any user change in mobile number.
[0013] A further object of the present invention is directed to a
mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
methodology and servicing system thereof which would enable
maintenance of customer preferences of communication delivery
instructions (such as unsubscriptions, and delivery rules) in a
suitable fashion and follow regulatory requirements such as "Do Not
Disturb" lists.
[0014] A further object of the present invention is directed to a
mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
methodology and servicing system thereof which would be adapted to
handle the redemption of points and vouchers even in case of no
direct identification and no internet connection.
[0015] A further object of the present invention is directed to a
mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
methodology and servicing system thereof which would enable a
customer relationship and loyalty program that does not rely only
on "points" or virtual currency for gratifying customers, but also
on other dynamic mechanisms such as instant gratifications and
milestones based vouchers that the customers can redeem in the
stores.
[0016] A further object of the present invention is directed to a
mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
methodology and servicing system thereof which would enable the
campaign module to run in a fraud proof manner by giving out unique
voucher codes for every voucher that goes out and validating them
before usage both in connected and disconnected (to internet)
settings.
[0017] Yet further object of the present invention is directed to a
mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
methodology and servicing system thereof which would be adapted for
running schemes such as incentivized referral programs.
[0018] Yet further object of the present invention is directed to a
mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
methodology and servicing system thereof which would be adapted for
integration with billing system such as involving screen
scraping.
[0019] Yet another object of the present invention is a mechanism
that lets the user identify their self to the customer relationship
and loyalty methodology by making use of additional devices, or
voice protocols such as calling a designated phone number which is
connected to the system and acts as an input.
[0020] Another object of the present invention is directed to a
mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
methodology and servicing system thereof which would further enable
communication with user friendly gadgets such as information
kiosk/web portal/mobile application and the like.
[0021] A further object of the present invention is directed to a
mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
methodology and servicing system thereof which would enable
integration and synchronization of working system during connected
and disconnected mode.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0022] Thus according to the basic aspect of the present invention
there is provided a mobile phone based mobile customer relationship
and loyalty servicing system comprising: [0023] (i) Mobile
phones/like mobile operative devices of the end users/customers
[0024] (ii) At least one client component at the retail/sales
outlets including computer means adapted for point of sale system
and MCRLP client applications involving activations from said
mobile phone/mobile operative devices of the end users [0025] (iii)
A server component comprising an MCRLP main server system adapted
for operative connection to said one client component means at the
retail/sales outlet for synchronization comprising: [0026] (a)
Central Bookkeeping server containing the application logic [0027]
(b) Communication Engines (for SMS/Email/Instant Messenger etc.)
[0028] (c) Security and Validation code generation routines, to
thereby provide for customer friendly customer relationship and
loyalty servicing. [0029] (d) Reporting Engine adapted to make
available the data being collected using MCRLP to the management in
a simplified structure preferably also including a HyperCube
functionality adapted to allow further drill up and drill down of
data in a dynamic setting;
[0030] Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a
mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system comprising operatively connecting to the main
server of the ERP/Accounting System containing the following:
[0031] (a) Inventory Masters, with Inventory categorization and
coding [0032] (b) Bill information said client component at the
retail/sales outlet and MCRLP main server being operatively
connected through internet continuously or selectively, said
continuous connection favouring continuous real time
synchronization of the server system to the client component at the
retail/sales outlets for on line customer relationship and loyalty
servicing.
[0033] A further aspect, of the present invention is directed to
said mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system, wherein the customer identification comprises
registering each customer and generating a unique ID and mapping
the customer phone number to this ID and using the unique ID as an
internal identifier and capturing profile including but not limited
to Name, Address, Date of Birth, Sex, Birthday, Anniversary and
other important days of the year which is used to validate the user
in case of mobile number change or voucher redemption in certain
cases with or without extra validation involving a Government
approved ID preferably selected from Driving License, Passport, and
also including the ability to update the mobile numbers for the
user as their numbers change.
[0034] A still further aspect of the present invention is directed
to said mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system, wherein the mobile number of the customer
comprises a unique identifier and the points are recorded against
the customer record along with past transaction data, redemption
details, vouchers issued or redeemed in the past including instant
vouchers and the like and the end user can be searched up using
either the mobile number, or name, email address and the like.
[0035] According to yet another aspect of the present invention is
directed to a mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and
loyalty servicing system wherein the data flows from the POS system
to the CRM system in a real time basis at the point of sale; rather
than in "batch" steps at regular intervals to enable instant
communication, analytics and redemption.
[0036] A further aspect of the present invention is directed to
said mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system wherein the mobile phone/GSM Modem is connected to
means adapted to receive SMS or other requests including
Web-interface/mobile applications/Email/Instant Message and so on
for the following: [0037] (a) Receive requests for points querying;
[0038] (b) Receive requests of unique voucher issue;
[0039] The interfaces allow various scenarios including (a) view
past transaction history, and check points and redemption options
(b) View a redemption catalog, and an online product catalog (c)
Check outstanding vouchers, and discount coupons and (d)
Participate in various campaigns that the organization may run from
time to time.
[0040] Importantly, in said mobile phone based mobile customer
relationship and loyalty servicing system according to the present
invention wherein said client component comprises: [0041] a.
Integration Layer adapted to customize and integrate with the
client using techniques such as API Integration and screen
scraping; [0042] b. Data Input UI adapted to enter data regarding
customer registrations, profile updates, billing information,
points redemption, voucher redemption and the like; [0043] c.
Voucher Validation for the clients to validate vouchers that have
been issued to the customer; [0044] d. Local Database and Cache
adapted to cache central data so that its accessible easily in the
local machine, and also stores all the transactions and
registrations locally until they have been synchronized
successfully; [0045] e. Synchronization Manager adapted to collect
all the unsynchronized data at the local machine and synchronizes
it with the main server online preferably involving an extensible
Markup Language (XML) based API; [0046] f. Instant Analytics Engine
adapted for instant analytics at the point of sale including a Rule
Engine, and the rules that the Marketing team sets for instant
analytics and executes them at the time of billing to achieve
targeted offers in an instant fashion;
[0047] Further in said mobile phone based mobile customer
relationship and loyalty servicing system wherein said server
component may comprise: [0048] i. Analytics Engine adapted to
generate insights based on trends of activities; [0049] ii.
Campaigns Engine adapted to assimilate various campaigns and
integrated with the rest of the MCRLP system or used separately;
[0050] iii. Rule Authoring Framework adapted for instant analytics
to runs on the Client requiring the rules to be written in a
particular format.
[0051] Yet another aspect of the present invention is directed to
said mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system adapted for (i) immediate communication including
enabling instant connect with the customer, higher interactivity
and impulse purchase behaviour and (ii) instant analytics enabling
real time capturing of data and its use to run instant analytics at
the point of sale itself based on variables comprising of (a)
Current Purchase, (b) Customer Demographics and Scores, (c)
Environment Information, and (d) Inventory Information, said system
said adapted to generate instant outcomes consisting of Vouchers
and other actions that are communicated to the customer for instant
redemption
[0052] Advantageously also in said mobile phone based mobile
customer relationship and loyalty servicing system as of the
present invention comprising code based validation of mobile
numbers including voucher validation and security mechanism
preferably the voucher code is generated such that the code can be
validated even when the network is not reachable/connected and thus
enabling redemption of points and vouchers in a secure fashion in
both connected and disconnected states
[0053] A still further aspect of the present invention is directed
to a mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system comprising of the Client component that integrates
with the Point of Sale system at the billing terminal using either
software API based integration requiring customizations of the
Point of Sale software, or by scraping the data from the screen
without any modifications to the Point of Sale system.
[0054] Further more, said mobile phone based mobile customer
relationship and loyalty servicing system of the invention
comprising means for providing customer preferences for receiving
communications, provision of alternative forms of generosity,
milestone based programs, and instant analytics and vouchering.
[0055] According to yet another aspect of the present invention is
directed to said mobile phone based mobile customer relationship
and loyalty servicing system wherein said means at the retail/sales
outlets comprises selectively of additional hardware as follows:
[0056] i. Data Entry Machines at the retail/sales counter including
communication instruments to receive calls from the user and
identify them appropriately; [0057] ii. Data Entry Machines may
scan the mobile directly through near-field communication
technology such as femtocells, or radio frequency tags that are
pre-associated with the mobile numbers at the time of customer
registration. Any device that can either identify the mobile (IMEI
number, IMSI number) or a pre-associated tag for the mobile may be
used. [0058] iii. Data Entry Machines that contains means for
generating and sending unique bar codes through SMS, and
subsequently scanning them for entry into the system.
[0059] According to an important aspect of the present invention is
directed to a method of mobile phone based mobile customer
relationship and loyalty servicing involving the above described
system of the present invention comprising:
[0060] A) Activation at the client component Involving the
following steps: [0061] j) The mobile number of the customer is
entered by the cashier either manually, or through other automated
means such as a PIN entering devices, an-incoming phone which can
identify the caller or hardware appendages as may be used for data
entry; [0062] ii) carrying out data availability check; [0063] iii)
capturing the data into the MCRLP Client system through the
integration means [0064] iv) in the instance the customer who is
the target of the current process, is marked "unsynchronized" in
the local database, it means the said customer doesn't have a
globally unique ID in the system, which then needs to be generated;
[0065] v) carrying out data validation step including voucher
validation in case the process requires validation; [0066] vi) in
case the Client is in the disconnected state, the changes are
cached in the local database, and uploaded whenever a sync is done
(either on scheduled events, or manually); [0067] vii) at this
point any instant analytics can be run to generate dynamic vouchers
for the user.
[0068] B) Activation at the Server component involving the
following steps: [0069] (i) validating the data from the MCRLP
Client component, cleaning up, and then adding or updating in the
database as required; [0070] (ii) Any configuration defined by the
client is respected, as the bills are stored for data-warehousing
purpose, and points calculation is done, the functionality of the
MCRLP Server is made very dynamic using the simple mechanisms
including "Listeners" and "Trackers". [0071] (iii) Executing
listeners with the relevant supplied data on the occurrence of any
Event including Customer Registration, Billing, Voucher Issue,
Voucher Redemptions, Customer Referral and the like [0072] (iv)
tracking the actions of a particular user and generate cumulative
aggregates of various quantities for particular periods of time
with or without integration with listeners Including extraction of
data required to be to be tracked involving preferably templates
for capturing this data from the information supplied to listeners;
storing the thus extracted data in a separate structured location
to facilitate aggregating and calculating the same preferably
defining threshold values for cumulative aggregates, and
subsequently performing certain actions on the threshold values
being exceeded and finally enabling the same through "Listeners"
defined above.
[0073] Another aspect of the present invention is directed to said
method of mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and
loyalty servicing comprising carrying out campaign functionalities
and incentive referral programs in relation to the above stated
steps.
[0074] The details of the invention, its objects and advantages are
explained hereunder in greater detail in relation to non-limiting
exemplary illustrations as per the following accompanying figures
wherein:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING FIGURES
[0075] FIG. 1: is a schematic illustration of the system and
methodology of the mobile phone based mobile customer relationship
and loyalty methodology and servicing system thereof in accordance
with the present invention;
[0076] FIG. 2: is a detailed illustration of the applications and
required adaptability of the client end server system and the
centralized server system which is operatively linked to multiple
client end servers;
[0077] FIG. 3: is a sequential illustration of the manner of
activation of the client end server system in the present
invention;
[0078] FIG. 4: is a sequential illustration of the manner of
activation of the centralized server system adapted to operatively
link to the client end servers;
[0079] FIG. 5: is an illustration of the voucher validation and
security mechanism in the mobile phone based mobile customer
relationship and loyalty methodology and servicing system thereof
in accordance with the present Invention; and
[0080] FIG. 6: is a schematic illustration of the voucher
validation workflow in the system of the invention.
[0081] FIG. 7: is a schematic illustration of the components that
compose the Instant analytics and vouchering engine
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE
ACCOMPANYING FIGURES
[0082] Interaction Diagram of the MCRLP System
[0083] Reference is first invited to accompanying FIG. 1 which
shows the system overview of the mobile phone based mobile customer
relationship and loyalty methodology and servicing system
thereof.
[0084] The system basically comprises of 2 parts: The Server
component that does the data-warehousing and "points" book-keeping
across all the terminals and the client component that is installed
on the Casher's machine along with the POS software. This component
integrates with the POS/ERP software and provides all the necessary
user interface. This client supports two modes of
operation--connected, when the network is available and the MCRLP
server is reachable, and disconnected, when the server is not
reachable. Connected mode is a simpler mode since the
synchronization happens in real time and vouchers and validation
etc. can be done far more smoothly. However, in the disconnected
mode, a pre-defined protocol has to be defined so that the
validations etc. can be done suitably. This client also includes
instant analytics module that enables rules to be run to perform
analytics. The architecture and system description followed is on
the lines as already discussed hereinbefore.
[0085] The mobile number of the end customer acts as a unique
identifier, and the points are recorded against the customer record
along with past transaction data, redemption details, vouchers
issued or redeemed in the past including instant vouchers and so
on. The user can be searched up using either the mobile number, or
name, email address and so on.
[0086] However, mobile numbers need to be properly validated since
people know others'mobile numbers and there is no physical
verification (unlike in cards). For this purpose, the invention
proposes Code based validation that issues a unique code through
SMS that is sent to that number, and can be validated against the
customer. This is described in more details in the section titled
"voucher validation and security mechanisms".
[0087] At the same time, people often change their mobile phone
numbers for various reasons, and hence the system requires a
well-defined protocol for updating the mobile number with suitable
security checks and validations. This protocol is described in more
detail in the section.
[0088] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the
mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system is adapted for handling "Mobile Number Change"
described in more detail in a subsequent section.
[0089] In some configurations, the MCRLP Server also contains an
integrated Analytics and Campaigns Module that enables mining the
data for insights and running targeted promotions using the same.
The same is described in the section titled "Analytics and
Campaigns". It may also include a "Rule Authoring Framework" for
instant analytics.
[0090] The entities that interact with the system are the
following: [0091] 1. Cashier--The cashier who makes the bills or
invoices using the Point of Sale software also tags the customer
along with the same process in our system. Any unregistered users
are registered therein. He may also use the system for redemption
of points, updating customer data, and redeeming vouchers [0092] 2.
I.T. Department of Organization--The I.T. department works on the
maintenance, connectivity and smooth operations of the system. It
also ensures that the inventory item masters (inventory item
details along with attributes and values) are synchronized and any
further data can be imported in the MCRLP Server [0093] 3.
Marketing Department of Organization--The Marketing department
formulates the schemes and coupons that are run as part of the
system both in an instant and delayed communication scenario, as
well as Analyze data and run campaigns. [0094] 4. End User--The end
user communicates with the system by enrolling, and receives
communications on his/her mobile phone. They also interact with the
system using the web, or mobile media.
[0095] System Architecture of the MCRLP System
[0096] Reference is now invited to accompanying FIG. 2 which
illustrates the system architecture of the mobile phone based
mobile customer relationship and loyalty servicing system of the
present invention.
[0097] As clearly illustrated in the FIG. 2 the main constituents
are the Client Application, and the MCRLP Server. The main role of
the Client Application is to interface with the POS Software and
the Cashier to collect data, and the Server provides all the
bookkeeping, communication management, validation management
etc.
[0098] Client Component
[0099] As shown In said FIG. 2 the Client is adapted to provide a
mechanism to integrate with the POS system, and the interface with
the human cashier. It has the following main components: [0100] 1.
Integration Layer--An integration layer to integrate with the
client. This Integration needs to be customized for each
organization Independently, and has to be plugged in appropriately.
This is described in more detail in the section titled "Integration
Mechanisms" [0101] 2. Configuration Manager--this downloads all the
configuration defined on the server and stores it locally, enabling
the Marketing Manager to configure all clients across all stores at
a single point [0102] 3. Data Input UI--This UI lets the cashier
enter data regarding customer registrations, profile updates,
billing information, points redemption, voucher redemption and so
on [0103] 4. Voucher Validation--This lets the client validate
vouchers that have been issued to the customer [0104] 5. Local
Database and Cache--This performs the following tasks--caches
central data so that its accessible easily in the local machine,
and also stores all the transactions and registrations locally
until they have been synchronized successfully. [0105] 6.
Synchronization Manager--This is the piece that takes all the
unsynchronized data at the local machine and synchronizes it with
the main server online. An extensible Markup Language (XML) based
API is used for this purpose. [0106] 7. Instant Analytics
Engine--This enables instant analytics at the point of sale. This
includes a Rule Engine, and the rules that the Marketing team sets
for instant analytics and executes them at the time of billing to
achieve targeted offers in an instant fashion. The same is
described in more detail in the section titled "Instant Analytics
and Vouchering" [0107] 8. Timer-based integration components--Some
stores might require data-export or import that can be done at
regular intervals using a scheduled event executor.
[0108] Server Component
[0109] As also illustrated in the figure the server component acts
as the single point of contact of all clients, does all the
book-keeping, and manages synchronization across the clients. It
has the following main components: [0110] 1. MCRLP Application
Logic--This is the core of the MCRLP application, and provides all
the business logic. From the data coming in through the API, to
managing the data storage, issuance of voucher codes for
validation, it manages all the operations. This is explained in
more detail later. [0111] 2. Messaging Layer--This includes an
interface with the SMS/Email Gateway and a single point of access
to them. This includes relevant redundancy in case the messages
fail to deliver. [0112] 3. Reporting Engine--The data being
collected using MCRLP is made available to the management in a
simplified structure by this infrastructure. In some
manifestations, the reporting engine may also include a HyperCube
functionality that allows further drill up and drill down of data
in a dynamic setting. [0113] 4. Analytics Engine--The data can be
analyzed to generate insights that might be beneficial to the
business. The same may be integrated into the system in many
manifestations [0114] 5. Campaigns Engine--The insights above and
other campaigns can be run through a Campaigns Engine, which may be
integrated with the rest of the MCRLP system or used separately.
[0115] 6. Rule Authoring Framework--The instant analytics that runs
on the Client requires the rules to be written in a particular
format. The same is activated using a Rule Authoring framework that
is present at the server end. This is described in more details in
the "Instant Analytics and Vouchering" section.
[0116] Customer Identification
[0117] In accordance with a further aspect of the invention the
mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system is adapted to serve as identifier generation and
profile capturing purposes as further explained hereunder:
[0118] Every customer has to be registered in the system and a
unique ID is issued against the said customer. This unique
identifier is Internal to the system and never communicated to the
user, and the phone number is mapped to this unique ID. The rest of
the infrastructure refers to this ID. Maintaining an internal
Identifier for an entity is usually the norm in all software
systems, however, in this case it's more important than usual since
the mobile number is prone to changing.
[0119] Along with the identifier generation, the relevant customer
profile is also captured including but not limited to Name,
Address, Date of Birth, Sex, Birthday, Anniversary and other
important days of the year. This information is also used to
validate the user in case of mobile number change or voucher
redemption in certain cases. These profile details when used
individually, or along with extra validation using a Government
approved ID such as Driving License, Passport etc. are termed as
external identifiers in subsequent exposition.
[0120] Integration Mechanisms
[0121] The Integration Mechanisms Followed by the System of the
Invention Involves the Following:
[0122] For an effective and usable system integration with existing
IT infrastructure such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or
Point of Sale (POS) is vital. For this purpose, the MCRLP system
allows integration with the external system with well defined
interfaces (which are not described here for lack of space), and
enable the customer to plug in a customized integration solution
which implement well defined interfaces.
[0123] Also, for the purpose of integration with legacy systems or
cases where the support of the existing POS vendor is not
available, a mechanism has been developed to pick out the data in
the system through screen scraping. This mechanism employs the
Windows API to make the window re-draw its contents and
intercepting the data that is sent to the video layer. This data is
then extracted as text and parsed in the required format. All the
transformations that need to be done are declaratively given in a
suitable configuration file, and primarily use regular expressions
for the purpose of parsing the relevant text out. The declarations
contain the window identifier from which the text Is to be picked
(using the Window class, and the caption), and also a set of
regular expression to take out the relevant information in
structural format from the captured text. In some manifestations,
basic integration may be provided with the POS software so that the
triggering of the MCRLP Client application after the creation of a
bill is automated.
[0124] The Other Customer Interfaces in the Present System of the
Invention Involves the Following:
[0125] The data being collected by the MCRLP system has to be made
accessible to the customer through various mechanisms, most
notably, through a customer portal where the customer can login and
check details. This portal is hosted along with the MCRLP Server,
and can display the valid data through direct database or API
interaction. Some features of this portal are: [0126] 1. Ability to
login and view and update profile information [0127] 2. View past
transaction history, and check points and redemption options [0128]
3. View a redemption catalog, and an online product catalog [0129]
4. Check outstanding vouchers, and discount coupons [0130] 5.
Participate in various campaigns that the organization may run from
time to time
[0131] One notable point here is that the customer doesn't need to
keep a login and password. When the customer wants to login, a
validation code is generated and sent to the customer, which is
valid for a few hours. This can be used to login and access the
details.
[0132] The same may be available through a mobile application as
well, which is accessible over smartphones using APIs (including
but not limited to iPhone, Android, Windows Phones, Blackberry, and
Java based devices), a WAP portal and SMS.
[0133] Immediate Communication
[0134] The system is designed In such a way that as soon as the
MCRLP Client uploads the data to the MCRLP server, the server
activates all necessary calculations and communications right away.
This enables an instant connect with the customer, higher
interactivity, and impulse purchase behaviour
[0135] Reporting
[0136] The system is designed to integrate various reporting
services within its framework to make the data available to the
Retail client in a meaningful format. This includes various reports
that expose the data being captured, including but not limited to:
[0137] 1. Customer information and lists, along with reports on
their preferences, demographics, purchase patterns and so on [0138]
2. Billing patterns of different stores with emphasis on customer
data, along with store comparisons based on customer loyalty [0139]
3. Inventory level reports--inventory affinity of customer
clusters, preferences, and so on [0140] 4. Campaign response
reports and return on Investment reports on a real time basis
[0141] These reports can be customized for different Retail Clients
as per their preferences. They are usually a standard
component.
[0142] In the current object of the MCRLP system, the big
differentiator is that since the data is being collected in a
real-time basis--that enables these reports to be generated in real
time as soon as the data is captured at the Point of Sale system
and communicated back to the central system.
[0143] Analytics
[0144] As described in the Background Art, analytics is once again
a standard component of many CRM systems. This includes techniques
to cluster users, stores, inventory items; classify users based on
their propensity for respond to certain kinds of campaigns and
affinity for certain inventory items and categories; develop
product relationships and associations based on the data. The same
can be included as part of an MCRLP system in either an integrated
fashion or as a separate system that reads data from the MCRLP
system and uses it to run campaigns.
[0145] However, since the MCRLP system enables real-time capturing
of data, the same can be used to run instant analytics at the Point
of Sale itself, and the mechanisms for the same is described in
more details in the section titled "Instant Analytics and
Vouchering"
[0146] Operational and Activation Procedures for MCRLP System
[0147] Operational and Activation Procedures for mobile phone based
mobile customer relationship and loyalty servicing system of the
invention are further discussed hereunder in relation to
accompanying FIGS. 3 and 4 wherein FIG. 3 shows the activation
procedure for the MCRLP Client while FIG. 4 shows the activation
procedure for the centralized (main) server.
[0148] Activation Procedure for the MCRLP Client
[0149] The main pathway for activation leads from data generation
at the end of the POS, to its distribution across all the other
stores. This follows the following steps: [0150] 1. The activation
protocol adopted at the client end is described clearly in FIG. 3.
Some salient features about this are: The mobile number of the
customer is entered by the cashier either manually, or through
other automated means such as a PIN entering devices, an incoming
phone which can identify the caller or hardware appendages as may
be used for data entry. Such hardware appendages are described in
more detail in the section titled "Data Entry Machines" [0151] 2.
The data availability check can be made by the triggering of an
event (such as Key press, or presence of a file in a particular
directory, or call of an API function) [0152] 3. The data is then
captured into the MCRLP Client system through the integration means
described in the subsection titled "Integration Mechanisms" [0153]
4. If the customer who is the target of the current process, is
marked "unsynchronized" in the local database, it means the said
customer doesn't have a globally unique ID in the system, and it
has to be generated [0154] 5. The Data Validation Step also
includes voucher validation in case the process requires
validation--this is blown up and explained later in the exposition
in more detail [0155] 6. In case the Client is in the disconnected
state, the changes are cached in the local database, and uploaded
whenever a sync is done (either on scheduled events, or manually).
[0156] 7. At this point any instant analytics can be run to
generate dynamic vouchers for the user. The same is described in
more detail in the section titled "Instant Analytics and
Vouchering"
[0157] Activation Procedure for the MCRLP Server
[0158] The activation protocol followed in the centralized (main)
server is clearly illustrated in accompanying FIG. 4. As the data
comes In from the MCRLP Client, first it is validated, cleaned up,
and then added or updated in the database as required. Any
configuration defined by the client (such as "Allow Duplicate Bills
Numbers only when they are from different stores", "Allow Duplicate
Bill numbers from the store as well" and others) that depend on the
architecture of the Client ERP/Billing HO system are respected. As
the bills are stored for data-warehousing purpose, and points
calculation Is done, the functionality of the MCRLP Server is made
very dynamic using the simple mechanisms described below called
"Listeners" and "Trackers".
[0159] Listeners
[0160] Different retail clients of the MCRLP system would want
different actions to be performed in the case of every event. The
list of actions may include but not be limited by the following:
[0161] 1. Send an SMS with a particular text [0162] 2. Send an
Email with a particular Text [0163] 3. Send a Campaign Voucher from
a particular campaign [0164] 4. Update the customer details--such
as their "Slab" [0165] 5. Send a voucher from another
organization--"Cross-Promotion" [0166] 6. Do the above based on
some conditions [0167] 7. Inform the management about the
transpiring of a particular event.
[0168] In the current manifestation of the MCRLP system (not a
necessary requirement for any other MCRLP system), Listeners are
executed with the relevant supplied data on the occurrence of any
Event (such as Customer Registration, Billing, Voucher Issue,
Voucher Redemptions, Customer Referral and so on). The same can be
configured using a web based UI.
[0169] Trackers
[0170] In certain cases, functionality is required to be able to
track the actions of a particular user and generate cumulative
aggregates of various quantities for particular periods of time. In
case of certain conditions being met, some of the actions listed
above in the "Listeners" subsection may be performed (eg., slab
upgrade, voucher issue etc.).
[0171] The MCRLP system can define extraction mechanisms that can
extract the data that is needed to be tracked. This may include
information from bills, inventory items the customer has purchased
based on certain attributes, campaign response information and so
on, and may include complex scenarios such as: [0172] 1. Track
customer purchases of premium blue shirts over a 6 month period
[0173] 2. Track number of campaigns the customer has responded to
in a 1 year period [0174] 3. Track number of visits in which the
customer has bought more than Rs. 1000 [0175] 4. Track cumulative
amount of milk the customer has purchased in the last 1 month and
get average milk consumption.
[0176] These quantities can be extracted by defining templates for
capturing this data from the information supplied to listeners.
[0177] As these quantities are extracted and stored in a separate
structured location, aggregates can be calculated for the same
(sum, average, standard deviation etc.). Threshold values can be
defined for these cumulative aggregates, and certain actions can be
performed on the threshold values being exceeded. The same is
enabled through "Listeners" defined above.
[0178] Campaigns Functionality
[0179] Any good CRM system provides functionality to run campaigns
for customers. However, the level of integration with the rest of
the CRM system may vary. In the current invention, the Campaigns
functionality is tightly integrated into the MCRLP system to
provide the ability to run campaigns in a simple yet effective
fashion. The integrated campaigns engine provides the ability to
select subsets of the customer database based on multiple filters
and target communication to them. The communication is sent to the
target customers through the integrated or external gateways
(Email, SMS, IM, Direct Mailers and so on).
[0180] An important factor in running campaigns is to run them in
"fraud-proof" fashion. In the manifestation of the MCRLP system
that we are presenting, there is capability to send the campaign
messages with a unique voucher-code (a unique combination of
alphanumeric characters) in a way such that before providing the
benefit of the campaign the voucher is validated to ensure that it
is valid and meant for the user who is trying to redeem it. The
same is based on various configuration options provided at the time
of creating the campaign, some examples being. "Can the user redeem
it more than once?", "Can more than one user redeem it?", "Can any
user redeem it or only the user to which it was issued?", "Maximum
number of vouchers that can be issued", "Maximum number of vouchers
that can be redeemed (early bird)". At the time of redeeming the
campaign, the necessary checks are made before the voucher
redemption goes through. This prevents fraud by the cashier who is
creating the bill--because the cashier would not have access to the
Voucher code and hence can not distribute the campaign benefit to a
subject without the necessary checks.
[0181] In order to maintain this system reliability and operations
even In the scenario when there is no Internet connection
(disconnected mode) for short duration of times, there's the
ability to do the validation directly from the server. This is
described in more details in the subsection titled "Disconnected
Functionality". Once the voucher is validated, the regular
operation continues.
[0182] Incentivized Referral Programs
[0183] With respect to another aspect of the current invention, the
Retail Clients are provided with an option to run an incentivized
referral program. The referral program uses the customers as
advocates for inviting new customers. The program Is implemented in
the following two ways: [0184] 1. As soon as the customer shops in
the store, they are asked for the contact details of their friends
who might be interested in the product. A Voucher code is sent to
the friend (through SMS, Email, Mobile application etc.) containing
some generosity that the friend can redeem by visiting the store.
In case of the voucher code being used by the "friend" the original
customer is given another voucher containing some other benefit. In
alternative configurations, the vouchers can be given to the
original customers based on more complicated parameters (such as
more than x friends referred, or their cumulative purchases after
shopping exceeds a certain amount)--this is enabled using the
Listeners/Trackers functionality. [0185] 2. The customer is sent a
communication with a unique voucher code valid for himself/herself
that they can now forward to friends. As the friends use it, the
same logic as in point (1) above is followed. [0186] The
incentivized referral program is a unique offering that enables
intelligent use of mobile phones and an MCRLP system to invite new
users. The whole system is managed automatically without any need
for manual data collation.
[0187] Disconnected Functionality
[0188] The MCRLP System is designed to work both on online
(connected) as well as offline (disconnected) mode. For this
purpose, the MCRLP Client includes a local database on which the
data is cached. In case when the terminal is online, the data is
immediately synchronized to the MCRLP Server. When the terminal is
offline, the data is cached, and marked as "unsynchronized" and is
synchronized when the system comes up online.
[0189] A special mention is required of the case when points are to
be redeemed or a campaign voucher has to be redeemed in the offline
mode. In this case, the customer is required to send an SMS to a
particular number in a pre-defined format. For points redemption,
this SMS would include the organizational identifier and the points
to be redeemed. For voucher redemption, this SMS would include the
organizational identifier with the voucher code that needs to be
redeemed. The server does the necessary verification at its end in
the same manner it would do in the connected mode, and replies with
a Validation code. At the same time, the server does the necessary
redemption with the partial data until It receives the full data
from the MCRLP client so that there is not possibility of the same
voucher/points being misused at another location and another MCRLP
client. The Validation code is generated in an algorithmic fashion
that enables secure validation--and this mechanism is described in
more details in the "Voucher Validation and Security Mechanisms"
section under the "Voucher Code Generation" subsection later. Only
upon the entry of the correct Validation code can the MCRLP Client
can successfully perform the redemption and in any other case it
throws up an error. In case the points can not be redeemed, or the
voucher is not valid, the server responds with the necessary error
message (eg., "Voucher Expired", "Voucher Not meant for this user",
"Not enough points") directly to the User's mobile device over SMS.
Once the connection is re-established, information about the
redemption is communicated to the MCRLP server.
[0190] A further point here is the SMS based communication is
illustrative, and the same could have been performed using a web
based model or a mobile application as described in the
objects.
[0191] Mobile Number Change
[0192] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the
mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system is adapted for handling Mobile Number Change as
further discussed hereunder in relation to accompanying FIG. 5:
[0193] Since the mobile number is used as a unique identifier for
the customer, and it is not uncommon to change mobile numbers,
changes to the mobile number have to be handled carefully and
seamlessly in order to ensure that the user is not inconvenienced
due to this matter at all. Besides, it also needs necessary
security check to ensure that a wrong person can't misuse somebody
else's points. For this purpose external identifiers which had been
recorded at the time of registration are cross verified.
[0194] The mapping of old number to new number has to be maintained
in the system in case the process has to be cross verified.
[0195] Another issue to be kept in mind is that the new mobile
number might already be registered in the system in the same or
another customer (the previous owner of that mobile number) and the
number stored against that customer has to be nullified, since that
customer no longer owns that mobile.
[0196] Customer Preferences for Receiving Communication
[0197] To satisfy an aspect of the invention, the MCRLP system
includes a mechanism for the customers to provide their preferences
for receiving communications. This can include, but not limited to,
the following: [0198] 1. Not receive "Campaign" or "Promotional"
messages [0199] 2. Receive messages only during certain time
periods [0200] 3. Black-out periods on which messages are not to be
sent, etc.
[0201] The MCRLP System may include an interface where the customer
can provide their preferences. This can be part of a web interface
that is exposed to the customer, or through a mobile application,
or simply through SMS. The customer can also provide the
preferences at the Point of Sale terminal where they are directly
entered in the MCRLP Client. These preferences may also be provided
in a central database maintained by a trusted third party
containing do not disturb lists, such as the "National Do Not
Disturb Registry" in India which is available to marketers.
[0202] These preferences are respected while sending out the
communications. Before sending out any communication its message
class Is checked (eg., Transactional, Promotional) as well as the
medium (Email, SMS, IM) and the communications are scheduled
accordingly.
[0203] Alternative Forms of Generosity
[0204] The current MCRLP system also differs from traditional
systems in its handling of customer generosity. In traditional
systems, this has primarily been done with the concept of "points"
or virtual currency that is issued to the customer. The same has
been described in more details in the section titled "Background
Art".
[0205] In the current MCRLP system, other mechanisms for providing
generosity have been provided. In some manifestation of the system,
the standard "points" based system may be used. In other
manifestations, the system may be used only as a data collection
and collation system, and all generosity may be given in the form
of vouchers that are issued to the customers at regular intervals
based on their past purchase behavior and based on the
organizational goals.
[0206] In yet other manifestations, a "milestone-based mechanism"
may be used. This is described in more details hereunder. As
described in the subsection titled "Trackers" customer behavior
across multiple attributes may be tracked. The system may be
configured to issue vouchers as customers cross certain milestones
at regular intervals. Such milestones may have two components:
[0207] The primary generosities in this case is given out in the
forms of vouchers as quantity tracked for every customers cross
certain milestones. Eg., cumulative purchases, total number of
items purchased, total value of "premium" products purchased and so
on. As described in the "Trackers" section, as the value of the
tracked quantity becomes more than a certain threshold value,
generosity can be given to the customers automatically. Also, based
on configuration, the tracker may be reset so that the tracking can
start afresh. Some examples of such generosity may be "A free gift
on every INR 5000 purchase", "A Voucher for 20% off on the next
purchase of above INR 1000 if you cross a cumulative purchase of
INR 10000", "Buy two items, get one free in your next purchase if a
customer buys more than 3 trousers above INR 1500".
[0208] In some configurations of the "milestone based generosity
system", these milestones may be structured in increasing order so
that the customer gets higher generosity as they cross bigger
milestones.
[0209] Instant Analytics and Vouchering
[0210] An important component of the current invention is the
ability to do instant analytics. This is enabled by the real-time
data collection at the Point of Sale. As a result of the instant
real-time analytics, customers can receive immediate communication
of very targeted offers based on information available at the cash
till. This information or "factors" are encoded in the form of
facts and are run through pre-defined rules to generate the set of
outcomes. All these are enabled in a rule engine that is able to
compute a large number of rules, take decisions in a quick format,
and convert these decisions into outcomes that are communicated to
the customer. Each of these components are described in more detail
below and an exposition of the exact workflow follows. Reference is
brought to FIG. 7 for the following exposition which gives the
components that go into the Instant Analytics.
[0211] Factors: Various points of information are encoded in the
form of facts. These facts encode specific bits of information in a
canonical template and mathematically comprehensible format. Some
of these factors are: [0212] 1. Current Purchase Basket--This
encodes the information about the current purchase the customer has
made, and includes details like the Bill Number, the Amount of the
Bill, the discounts already claimed, the inventory items along with
the quantities, rates, values of each, as well as attributes of
every item purchased. This requires the [0213] 2. Customer
Demographics and Scores--The customer information is also encoded
and provided to the Instant Analytics engine, this may include
factors such as their age, their birthdate, marital status,
location, the last visit date, city, zip code and so on. Apart from
that, some bits of information may be pre-computed about the
customers and is also encoded. Such information may contain things
like affinity for premium products, the number of items they are
most likely to purchase, and so on. [0214] 3. Environment
Information--This encodes information relevant to the particular
store/cash till where the MCRLP client is running and may includes
factors such as location information (city of the store, PIN/ZIP
code, region), whether it is in a mall or high street, if there are
any festivals forthcoming in the local geography and so on. Also
information such as the time of the day, whether it's a weekday or
a weekend is also encoded. [0215] 4. Inventory Information--This
may include information such as what are the inventory information
at the store, velocity of individual inventory items and the ones
that need to be pushed out and so on.
[0216] Each of them are encoded using a Fact "class"--eg.,
StoreInformation, InventoryItemInformation and so on. There are
other fact classes to store the outcome--eg., "VoucherToBeIssued",
"PointsToBeAdded"
[0217] Before the invocation of the Rule Engine such information is
encoded correctly and is apprised to the rule engine in the correct
format.
[0218] Rules: The other important criteria is the actual rules that
take the decisions. These rules are authored in an authoring
framework (which may reside along with the MCRLP Server in most
manifestations). The rules are designed in consultation with the
market team of the Retail client on the basis of their marketing
goals and follow the grammar below: [0219] Rule: Rule_name
Attributes when Condition then Outcome end [0220] Rule_name: String
[0221] Attributes: A list of <Attribute_Name,
Attribute_Value> pairs [0222] Condition: Mathematical expression
encoding facts defined above that results in a Boolean output. If
the condition is satisfied then the rule is executed [0223]
Outcome: If the rule is satisfied, the outcome is asserted. This
outcome is defined in the form of a new Fact of the outcome class
that gets asserted.
[0224] The rules are made available to the rule engine in a text or
binary format at the MCRLP Client. These rules are updated on a
regular basis as per the requirements of the Retail client and
provided to the MCRLP Client through the MCRLP Server.
[0225] The "Rule Engine" is s standard piece of mathematical tool
that can take the rules (suitably modeled) and the facts (suitably
modeled) and generate the correct outcomes. These rule engines are
well-engineered to run the rules at scale and compute thousands of
rules and millions of facts. The rule engine may be provided either
as a module (library) or as a separate service.
[0226] Outcomes: The outcomes after the computation of the rule
engine need to be converted into a visible outcome for the
customer. Some of these could, for instance, be: [0227] 1. Issue a
Voucher to the customer--The voucher type and other details are
extracted from the. Outcome template and the correct voucher should
be issued to the customer and messaged to him/her with a suitable
message. [0228] 2. Increase Points of the customer--similar to the
above, the right action is taken and communicated to the
customer
[0229] Other types of Outcomes may be added as per the requirements
of the retail client. Also, the outcome may be displayed to the
Cashier making the bill in some configurations.
[0230] A note, must be made of the fact, that while the "Rule
Engine" as a raw technology is available in prior art, its
application in the workflow defined above is unique.
[0231] Voucher Validation and Security Mechanisms
[0232] In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, the
mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system is also adapted for voucher validation and
security mechanisms as discussed hereunder in relation to
accompanying FIG. 6:
[0233] This is one of two procedures that form are unique in the
mobile scenario. The aim Is to validate that the identity of the
customer as the owner of the mobile phone, whether the network Is
accessible on the Cashier Point of Sale or not.
[0234] Voucher Code Generation
[0235] The voucher code has to be generated In such a fashion that
the code can be validated even when the network is not reachable,
and the server can't inform the client what codes have been issued.
Some other requirements from the code are: [0236] 1. Should use
only alphanumerics (0-9 and A-Z) to ensure ease of reading (case
insensitive) [0237] 2. Encode all the relevant information to
validate the right customer with the code [0238] 3. Allow
validation in disconnected mode as well [0239] 4. The code should
be able to be translated into a barcode-compatible representation
easily, and this should be optional since may devices may not be
able to show barcodes [0240] 5. There shouldn't be any requirement
for pre-assigning codes at the client end, in case the Client is
unable to synchronize for a long period of time [0241] 6. The
Voucher code should get invalidated if not used within a certain
amount of time [0242] 7. (Optional) A voucher issued for a
particular store should be valid only in that store.
[0243] Keeping in mind the above requirements, as a non-limiting
exemplary illustration the following scheme has been developed. The
alphanumeric requirement is met by encoding it in Base 36 that
allows for alphanumeric representation. The information that needs
to be encoded is given below and a recommended encoding is given in
the table below:
TABLE-US-00001 Information Size Notes Organization Code 24 Bits
Uniquely identify the organization Customer Code 24 Bits Uniquely
identify the mobile number to be validated Purpose (Registration/ 3
Bits Define the purpose of Redemption/Mobile Change) validation
Issue_Time (seconds from 13 Bits The time is used to ensure the
beginning of the month) that the voucher can be used only for a
specified time. Its broken down into 2 parts as described Total 32
Bits
[0244] Optionally this could further include the store ID for
meeting the requirement (8) above. The voucher code is issued using
a combination of the fields described above, so that it generates a
unique code that is unique to the particular organization, purpose,
mobile number, and only valid for a short period of time. The
current time period is broken down into two parts--a fixed part and
a variable part. The voucher code generation works by using bitwise
operations such as AND, OR, XOR and cryptographic hash functions to
generate a voucher code that will be unique. One sample function
could be: [0245] f.sub.1=h.sub.1(org_id, purpose,
fixed_time_component) [0246] f.sub.2=h.sub.2(mobile) [0247]
f.sub.3=h.sub.3(variable.sub.-time_component) [0248] f=f.sub.1
f.sub.2 f.sub.3 where, f denotes the codes at various stages of
computation, and h are one-way hash functions (such as MD5, SHA-1).
denotes bitwise XOR.
[0249] In this scheme, at the time of validation, f.sub.1 and
f.sub.2 should be identical as computed on the server, and hence
the final f value can be computed by substituting values of the
variable time suitably (the current time, or a few past
time-identifiers to accommodate for delays).
[0250] The f computed above is further encrypted using standard
encryption technologies so that an outside party can't regenerate
the values.
[0251] It may be noted that while computing the hash values, the
actual calculated values are usually longer (about 128 bits), and
hence, a suitable mechanism may be used to map it to a smaller
number of bits (either stripping the left-most bits, or XOR'ing
them together).
[0252] All this information is encrypted using Private Key
encryption. On receiving the voucher code, the MCRLP client
validates the Customer Code against the mobile number, and the
organization code against the company. It also verifies the purpose
and the issue time to make sure that the voucher is still valid. It
then marks the voucher invalid so that it can't be used again.
[0253] The actual manifestation of the code may vary based on
implementation. However, the core idea is to generate one-way hash
suitably encoded by using some secure means that can be
independently validated.
[0254] Security Issues and Addressal
[0255] Some illustrative options: [0256] 1. The user not being the
owner of the mobile phone--validated by sending a unique code to
the user. This is a simple pathway in the Connected mode, but in
Disconnected mode, there is no way of sending an SMS to the user,
so the customer is asked to send an SMS to validate himself/herself
to a particular number [0257] 2. In the disconnected mode, a
fraudulent customer may have access to a mechanism to send SMS
impersonating as somebody else. This is dealt with by sending a
unique code to the customer even though the system can validate by
incoming SMS. This establishes authenticity since the SMS sent from
our server would only be delivered to the said mobile number [0258]
3. The user managing to get access to somebody else's phone--this
is validated by profile details filled at the time of registration.
Asking questions about the external identifiers as defined in
previous sections.
[0259] Optional Hardware Components
[0260] Additional hardware may be added to address some of the
concerns. Some of these concerns are: [0261] 1. Higher data entry
throughput at the Cashier terminal--Typically, in most stores, the
line for billing is very long and there is a need to keep the data
entry time shortest. Manual entry of Coupons etc. may slow down the
process [0262] 2. Customer not willing to share their mobile number
with the Retailer--In case the customer doesn't want to share their
mobile number with the retailer, the system has to be designed to
let the customer identify himself/herself through another
mechanism.
[0263] In accordance with yet further aspects of the invention the
mobile phone based mobile customer relationship and loyalty
servicing system of the invention can be adapted for the following
additional servicing provisions:
[0264] Barcoded Coupons
[0265] The coupons are encoded as an image and sent to the phone as
a picture message, or MMS, or by email (for smartphones with email
access). This enables, the cashier to scan the barcode using a
standard barcode scanner.
[0266] The main challenge is converting the image generated from
the barcode into a form that can be consumed, by a mobile handset
and delivered through SMS.
[0267] Optionally this includes the store ID for the requirement
(8) above.
[0268] Data Entry Machines
[0269] A machine for entering the mobile number is provided at the
terminal that lets the user enter the mobile number without the
cashier getting access to it. This machine is similar to the PIN
entry machines seen for debit card transactions. The number
directly goes to the MCRLP system without the cashier getting
access to it.
[0270] In some configurations, the Data Entry Machines may scan the
mobile directly. This may be through near-field communication
technology such as femtocells, or radio frequency tags that are
pre-associated with the mobile numbers at the time of customer
registration. Any device that can either identify the mobile (IMEI
number, IMSI number) or a pre-associated tag for the mobile may be
used.
[0271] Telephonic Data Entry
[0272] In yet another manifestation of the invention, a telephone
or similar device may be attached to the billing counter, where the
user can call up and easily identify himself/herself. The customer
is identified by making use of the caller ID feature of new mobile
phones. This can make the billing process far quicker.
[0273] It is thus possible by way of the present invention to
provide for a customer friendly and reliable mobile phone based
mobile customer relationship and loyalty methodology and servicing
system thereof which would enable the customer to activate the
services offered at the retailers outset and the like as soon as
they shop using their mobile phones involving media such as SMS,
e-mail, instant messenger etc. and thereby favour a more customer
friendly customer relationship and loyalty servicing.
* * * * *